Commission Decision (EU) 2018/479 of 20 March 2018 on the long-term national aid scheme for agriculture in the northern regions of Sweden (notified under document C(2018) 1622)

1 From 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022 Sweden is authorised to implement the long-term aid scheme for agriculture in its northern regions listed in Annex I.

2 The total amount of aid granted shall not exceed SEK 422,92 million per calendar year. The yearly maximum amounts shall be considered as annual averages of the aid granted in the period of 5 calendar years covered by this Decision.

3 Aid categories and the production sectors for each category, the maximum average yearly amounts allowed, as specified in paragraph 2, including the separate maximum amount for cow's milk production and transport, as well as the maximum yearly number of eligible production factors per aid category, are set out in Annex II.

4 Aid shall be granted on the basis of eligible production factors or production amounts as follows: (a) per kilogram milk of actual production for the production of cow's milk; (b) per livestock unit for animal husbandry; (c) per hectare for crop and horticultural production including berries; (d) as a compensation for actual costs for the transport of cow's milk, deducting any other public support for the same costs. Aid linked to production amounts may be granted only towards the production of cow's milk and in no case shall the aid be linked to future production. The conversion rates into livestock units for the various types of livestock are set out in Annex II.

5 In accordance with paragraph 3 and within the limits set out in Annex II, Sweden shall differentiate the aid in its northern regions and set the aid amounts annually per production factor, cost or unit of production on the basis of objective criteria relating to the severity of the natural handicap and other factors contributing to attaining the objectives set out in the third subparagraph of Article 142(3) of the Act of Accession.

The reference period referred to in the second indent of the first subparagraph of Article 142(3) of the Act of Accession shall be 1993 as regards both the quantities and the level of support set out in Article 1 of this Decision.

1 Sweden shall lay down, within the limits provided for in this Decision, the conditions for granting aid to the various categories of beneficiaries. Such conditions shall include the eligibility and selection criteria applied and ensure the equal treatment of beneficiaries.

2 The aid shall be paid to the beneficiaries based on actual production factors or, as regards the production of cow's milk, amount of actual production, referred to in Article 1(4).

3 The aid shall be paid annually, except for cow's milk, transport aid for cow's milk, laying hens and pigs for slaughter in regard to which the aid may be paid in monthly instalments.

4 An overrun of the maximum yearly number of production factors or amounts eligible for aid, as set out in Annex II, shall be taken into account as a corresponding reduction in the number of production factors in the year following the overrun where the aid is paid in annual instalments or in the last month of the year where the aid is paid monthly.

5 Sweden shall take appropriate measures to prevent the overrun referred to in paragraph 4 where such an overrun appears likely, based on official or officially verified statistical projections.

6 An overpayment or undue payment to a beneficiary shall be recovered by deducting the corresponding amounts from the aid paid to the beneficiary the following year or be otherwise recovered in that year, where no aid is due to the beneficiary. The undue amounts shall be recovered by 1 June of the following year.

1 Sweden shall, as part of the information provided pursuant to Article 143(2) of the Act of Accession, submit to the Commission each year before 1 June information on implementation of the aid granted under this Decision during the preceding calendar year. The information shall concern in particular: (a) identification of the municipal units in which the aid was paid by means of a detailed map and where necessary by other data; (b) the total production, covering the reporting year, for the sub-regions eligible for aid under this Decision, expressed in quantities for each of the products specified in Annex II; (c) the total number of production factors and quantities, the number of production factors and quantities eligible for aid and the number of production factors and quantities supported per production sector specified in Annex II with a breakdown by product within each sector, including the indication of any overrun of the allowed maximum yearly number of production factors and quantities, as well as the description of measures, if any, taken to prevent such an overrun; (d) the total aid paid, the total amount of aid per aid category and the type of production, amounts paid to beneficiaries per production factor/other unit, as well as the criteria for differentiating aid amounts by sub-regions and types of farm holdings or on the basis of other considerations; (e) the payment system applied with details concerning any advances based on estimates, final payments as well as observed overpayments and their recovery; (f) amounts of aid paid under Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 in the administrative units covered by this Decision; (g) references to national legislation whereby the aid is implemented.

2 Before 1 June 2023 Sweden shall, in addition to the annual report covering year 2022, submit to the Commission a report covering the 5-year period from 1 January 2018 until 31 December 2022. This report shall also cover the support granted under Decision C(2010) 6050 during 2016 and 2017. That report shall indicate, in particular: (a) the total aid paid during the 5-year period, and its distribution among aid categories, types of production and sub-regions; (b) for each aid category, the total production amounts per year and for the 5-year period, the number of production factors and the income levels of farmers in the regions eligible for the aid; (c) the evolution of agricultural production, processing and marketing in the social and economic context of the northern regions; (d) the effects of the aid on the protection of the environment and the preservation of the countryside; (e) proposals for the medium-term development of the aid based on the data presented in the report.

3 Sweden shall provide data in a form compatible with the statistical standards used by the Union.

4 Sweden shall take all steps necessary to apply this Decision and suitable control measures vis-à-vis beneficiaries of aid.

5 Control measures shall to the extent possible be harmonised with the control systems applied under the Union support schemes.

1 Based on the information on the support scheme referred to in Article 4 and having regard to the national and Union context of agricultural production as well as other relevant factors, Sweden shall in 2022 make appropriate proposals to the Commission for amending and prolonging, for a period of 5 years, the aid authorised under this Decision.

2 If the Commission decides to amend this Decision, in particular on the basis of any changes in the common market organisations or the direct support scheme or a change in the rate of any authorised national agricultural State aid, any amendment to the aid authorised by this Decision shall apply only from the year following that in which the amendment was adopted.

Decision C(2010) 6050 is repealed with effect from 1 January 2018. However, Article 6(1) of that Decision shall continue to apply to the aid granted under that Decision in 2017.

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 2018.

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Sweden.